2026–27 season · nonresident whitetail
$473 total nonresident cost — Archery route: combo permit $410–411 + license $57.75 (5-day $35.75 works) + $5.50 habitat stamp ≈ $473. Firearm route: $304–329 + license + stamp ≈ $367–392.
Verified Jul 31, 2026 · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
No preference points — every lottery is a fresh random draw, and there are real 2026 paths open RIGHT NOW: Lottery 3 for NR firearm/muzzleloader county permits runs July 13 – Aug 21, unsold archery combos go on sale in person Aug 3 ($411), and leftover firearm permits sell OTC from Oct 20. NR firearm applicants draw reliably in most counties (not guaranteed in trophy counties).
Applications May 11 – Aug 21 · typically ~0 points to draw
Closed Nov 20–22 and Dec 3–6 in counties with firearm seasons; continuous in Cook/DuPage/Lake and Kane east of IL-47.
Firearm First Season (split-season structure). County-specific permits; Cook/DuPage/Lake and Kane east of IL-47 closed.
Firearm Second Season; muzzleloader permits also usable here with a muzzleloading rifle.
Muzzleloader-only. Late-Winter/CWD antlerless seasons follow (Dec 31 – Jan 3, Jan 15–17).
exploremoreil.com — firearm either-sex $304, combo $329; muzzleloader same pricing. One county (or Special Hunt Area) choice plus optional second. No group applications in Lottery 3.
Unsold NR archery combos (either-sex + antlerless) sell in person from Aug 3, $411, while they last. Limit one per year; no combo purchase after Sep 30 if you already bought a single antlerless archery permit.
County permits remaining after Lottery 3 sell first-come from Oct 20 until quotas exhaust; multiple purchases allowed.
Annual $57.75 (or 5-day $35.75) + $5.50 habitat stamp, online any time.
Rules that commonly differ state to state — check the ones your home state handles differently.
Answer four questions — home state, weapon, dates, points — and this page becomes your checklist: deadlines ranked against your season, costs totaled, and the steps in order.
Plan Illinois →WhiteTailPlanner summarizes public regulations to help you plan. The state's published regulations are the legal authority — confirm with the official sources linked above.
